By Evan Blair, Operations Intern

It was an exciting week at Capital One Park. There were walk-offs, great events, and the Governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, threw out the first pitch on July 4th. We were honored to have Governor Youngkin at the park, and he was gracious enough to meet players, parents, coaches, and interns. July 4th also brought two great games – a big Chili Dogs win, and the Bunt Cakes won their second game of the season. Looking at the week ahead, West Springfield and Central Springfield Little League night is on Monday July 10th and First Responders Night is on Wednesday July 12th. The baseball action will also continue to heat up as we get closer to the playoffs. Now, let’s look at this week’s rankings:
 
#7 Hot Wings
           
The Hot Wings are unfortunately, very cold right now. With the worst record in the league at 2-8, the second worst batting average in the league at .209, and the second worst run differential as well, the Hot Wings are not meeting expectations. On paper this looked to be a top team, but, right now, they aren’t playing like it.
 
#6 Gators
 
            The Gators have had their ups and downs throughout the first half of the season, but did not end week 3 on a high note. Tying with the Yard Dogs and losing to the Bunt Cakes were definitely deflating. The Gators have the worst batting average in the league at .202 and are average on the mound. The Gators need to improve on offense and defense to get a top 4 seed in the playoffs, because right now nothing seems to be going right.
 
#5 Bunt Cakes
 
            THE BUNT CAKES. Why all caps? Because the Bunt Cakes are flaming hot right now. Four wins in a row means that the Bunt Cakes are now sitting at number 5 in the standings. A switch flicked and the Bunt Cakes are firing on all cylinders. Marcus LeClair leads the team in batting average and his return seemed to turn this team around. I expect this team to continue their winning ways going into next week.
 
*For now I will be referring to the Bunt Cakes as the Hot Cakes (no jinx, no jinx)
 
#4 Red Foxes
 
            The Red Foxes have cooled off in the past week. Getting beat 12-0 by the Rough Riders, and going 2-2 on the week, the Red Foxes have not played great baseball. Spirits seem to be low in the Foxes dugout and one of their key players, Dominick Proctor, is missing. The Red Foxes still have the second-best record in the league, but, again, things are looking more negative than positive.
 
Something to point out: The Red Foxes are last in the league in stolen bases, with 7 as a team. They are separated by 35 stolen bases from the closest team in the standings, the Chili Dogs. As we have seen so far, stolen bases are key in winning games, and the Red Foxes have not shown the ability to swipe bags this season.
 
#3 Yard Dogs
 
            The Yard Dogs have a solid record at 6-4-1 and have the league’s second highest batting average at .230. Christian Carver continues to impress as one of the best hitters in the league. The Yard Dogs have also gotten major support from their pitching staff with a 2.78 ERA. The team has had some up and down moments, but are still a dangerous team, especially on the basepaths.
 
#2 Rough Riders
 
            Next, we have the Rough Riders. The Rough Riders are playing amazing baseball right now. On Friday, the Rough Riders destroyed the Red Foxes in a 12-0 mercy; And, the next day, the Rough Riders beat the Yard Dogs 3-1. This is a fun team to watch – they are second in stolen bases, have the lowest ERA in the league, and are led by Cole Snead and Ryan Dudak on the mound. The bullpen will be key for the Rough Riders success in the next few weeks, but the league should be watching this team closely.
 
#1 Chili Dogs
           
            The Chili Dogs have finally earned the number one spot in the power rankings. With the best batting average, highest OBP, most stolen bases, and highest OPS, the Chili Dogs have proven they are an excellent hitting team. However, the Chili Dogs are not only great at the plate, but they have excelled on the mound as well. Led by Carson Estridge, Cooper Charneco, and Josh Gjormand, the Chili Dogs are keeping runs and hits to a minimum.
 
Player Spotlight: Clay Clarke is the league leader in 6 offensive categories: Avg., OBP, OPS, SB, Hits, and Runs. Clarke is an exciting player to watch and won’t be slowing down anytime soon. As the Chili Dogs best hitter through week 3, Clarke is on pace to be league MVP.

By Evan Blair, Operations Intern

            July is upon us, which brings Independence day, fun events, and great baseball at Capital One Park. The second week of the Potomac League season was competitive to say the least. We have multiple teams tied at the top of the standings and a few others right behind. Before I reveal this week’s power rankings, let’s look at a few key events coming up at Capital One Park.
 
Independence Day at The Ballpark:
            On July 4th, there will be two games played at Capital One Park – Chili Dogs vs. Gators at 9:30am and Hot Wings vs. Bunt Cakes at 12:30pm. Before the second game, Virginia Governor, Glenn Youngkin, will be on hand to throw out the first pitch! Get ready to see our Governor and enjoy a variety of Independence Day games and prizes!
 
Little League Nights:
            Throughout the month of July, multiple area little leagues will be invited to the ballpark to watch the games and enjoy Capital One Park! Make sure to check out the “Special Events” tab to find when your little league night is.
 
First Responder’s Night:
            On July 12th, Capital One Park and the Potomac League will be celebrating the men and women who protect us every day. All first responders will have free admission and will be recognized throughout the night!
 
These are just some of the many events coming up at Capital One Park this July. Make sure to check out our social media feed, @potomacleague, and the “Special Events” tab to keep up to date on the exciting things happing at the ballpark.
       
 
Now, to the power rankings.
 
#7 Bunt Cakes
       Last week, I said if the Bunt Cakes can turn things around and win a few games, then their dreadful start to the season would be solved. However, this did not happen. The Bunt Cakes lost 4 more games, which puts their record at 0-7. The Bunt Cakes have the lowest batting average in the league at .143 and the highest ERA in the league at 6.05 – not a good combination for winning games.
           
            The Bright Side: The Bunt Cakes have mostly been in close games and have Marcus LeClair, the Virginia Tech committed 1st basemen, back for the remainder of the season.
 
#6 Hot Wings
            The Hot Wings have not lived up to their pre-season expectations and it is obvious that the Coach Spencer lead team, has not been firing on all cylinders. Only a few key players are performing, such as Jake Slade and Brendan Cecka, but that is not enough for the Hot Wings to win many games.
           
            The Bright Side: The Hot Wings’ 2-5 record does not necessarily tell the whole story. The Hot Wings have a run differential of only -5 and haven’t had a terrible loss yet. Coach Spencer and his team are holding others close and in due time, it will pay off.
 
#5 Rough Riders
            The Rough Riders have a good record, but are sitting in the bottom in terms of statistics and have not yet shown to be consistent in any facet of the game. Furthermore, the Rough Riders record is inflated by playing lesser competition so far.
 
            The Bright Side: The Rough Riders are absolutely a team to watch out for down the line. Why? The Rough Riders have shown to play deep into games and have a dominating presence on the mound.
 
#4 Gators
            The Gators are sitting at .500 on the season and show some signs of greatness, but overall have not yet gotten hot offensively. The Gators have the second lowest batting average in the league, at .174, but have managed to win games with great pitching, with a league-best ERA of 1.54. Beating a scrappy Rough Riders team and having a run differential of 0 puts the Gators at #4 this week.
 
#3 Chili Dogs
            The Chili Dogs will remain in their #3 position. It was a good week for the Chili Dogs, going 3-1, but in that span have played the Hot Wings twice and Bunt Cakes once. For as good as the Chili Dogs are, their defense is still lacking, and their pitching has some work to do. The Chili Dogs own the number two position in walks and hit by pitches, but make up for it by having the highest team batting average in the league, at .271.
 
            The Bright Side: The Chili Dogs are probably the most talented team in the league, have star players all around the field, and most likely, will gain the bat of Campbell Charneco off the injured list soon.
 
#2 Yard Dogs
            The Yard Dogs have shown the ability to play the game the right way, by making the least number of errors in the league. Good defense comes at a premium in this league and the Yard Dogs know how to play it. Carson Carroll has built a winning team, that cares about the game, and has fun while doing it.
 
            The Bright Side: If the Yard Dogs continue to show class on the baseball field, they will be in a good spot come the end of the season.
 
#1 Red Foxes
            Although the Red Foxes went .500 on the week, they remain the #1 team. Why? The Red Foxes continue to show that they are the most well-balanced team in this league. Sitting at #2 in batting average and team ERA, and #1 in fewest walks given up, the Red Foxes are in an amazing spot. Led by Dominick Proctor and Rixon Webb at the plate, and 3 different pitchers with 0 ERA’s, the Red Foxes look to continue their winning ways in week 3.